A monthly compilation of interesting business news related to soccer. November 2011.

Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov open to sale – November 6th

Owner Vladimir Romanov insists he will continue to support Hearts financially but admits he is now open to selling the Edinburgh club.

Players were paid on Friday, following an 18-day wait for overdue wages, and Romanov recently questioned the wisdom of continuing to invest in Hearts.

Full Article >> BBC

Barcelona will never be for sale, says club president Sandro Rosell – November 7th

Sandro Rosell, the Barcelona president, has criticised the corporate and foreign ownership of major Premier League clubs, saying that while he is in charge his club, which is owned by its 180,000 members, will “never, ever be for sale”.

Speaking at the International Football Arena conference in Zurich on football’s financial pressures, Rosell said clubs should naturally be mutual “associations” owned by their members, rather than companies owned by a single business figure. He suggested the reason Barcelona sold their shirt sponsorship for the first time, controversially to Qatar, whose sports investment arm paid €166m (£140m) for five years’ rights, was due to competition with owners putting excessive money into their clubs.

Full Article >> Guardian

Fugitive football club owner Psomiadis arrested in Skopje – November 10th

Fugitive football club owner Makis Psomiadis was arrested in Skopje, in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia , it was announced here on Wednesday.

Psomiadis was wanted by Greek Police (EL.AS) since late September when he was released on bail following a disagreement between the examining magistrate and a relevant prosecutor on whether he should be taken into custody for his alleged role in a massive match-fixing scheme. The former had recommended his release.

Full Article >> Ekonom:east Media Group (EMG)

Hearts players face another salary delay – November 16th

Hearts have told their players their salaries will be paid at the “earliest opportunity” following a second consecutive month of overdue wages.

The Edinburgh club admit they are currently trying to “obtain funding” in order to make those payments after settling a tax bill of more than £1m with HM Revenue and Customs yesterday.

Full Article >> Guardian

MLS announces changes for 2012 season – November 20th

Major League Soccer announced changes to next season’s competition format Sunday ahead of the MLS Cup final, including rewarding the best finalist with home field advantage in the 2012 MLS Cup.

The Los Angeles Galaxy, who had the best regular season record, host Sunday’s MLS Cup against the Houston Dynamo, but The Home Depot Center was selected as a neutral venue. Starting next year, the finalist with the best record during the regular season will host the MLS Cup.

MLS also announced the playoffs will again include 10 teams, only next season, five teams from each conference will be guaranteed to advance. This year, five teams from each conference qualified, but only the top three automatically.

Full Article >> Fox News

AW: Financial rules could fail – November 25th

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed reservations that UEFA will not be able to force through new financial fair play regulations.

Europe’s governing body are due to implement the system for the 2013-14 season, which will give them the right to ban teams from Champions League or Europa League participation if they continue to spend more than they earn over a rolling three-year period.

The likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have risen to the top of their respective domestic leagues on the back of the vast wealth of their Middle Eastern owners.

Full Article >> Football365

Polish FA president faces bribery allegations – November 28th

UEFA Euro 2012 co-host Poland has been hit with a new problem after Polish Football Association (PZPN) president Grzegorz Lato was implicated in a possible bribery case.

The country’s newly appointed Sports Minister, Joanna Mucha, has notified prosecutors of the case after stating she had been given recordings which “contain very serious and very surprising content.” Mucha told a news conference: “I was on my way to the PZPN convention when I learned that we are experiencing a strange and a very uncommon situation. I have been handed recordings…and as they contain very serious and surprising content, I have immediately notified Prosecutor General Andrezej Seremet of a possible criminal offence.”

Full Article >> Soccerex

Buy Italian – football players tackle bond crisis – November 28th

As Italian bond yields hover close to euro-area highs, the country’s football players and its biggest banks are backing a plea for local investors to purchase the securities and help restore confidence in the nation’s sovereign market.

The Italian Banking Association is promoting ‘‘BTP-Day’’ today, with lenders waiving fees for clients who buy government bonds and bills known as BTPs (Buono del Tesoro Poliennale) and BOTs (Buoni Ordinari del Tesoro) at branches.

Article >> Sydney Morning Herald

Portsmouth’s long-term future unsure after Championship club’s parent company go into administration – November 29th

It was confirmed on Tuesday that CSI, which bought Portsmouth in June, went into administration following the arrest last week of its main shareholder, Vladimir Antonov, and the seizure of many of his assets.

The administrators will now actively seek new buyers for all these assets, leaving Portsmouth’s financial future secure only in the short term.

Full Article >> Telegraph

Manchester City top Premier League list of agent fees – November 30th

Manchester City spent more than any other Premier League side on agents’ fees over the past year with £9.66m going to player representatives.

Tottenham spent the second-highest amount, committing £7.57m to agents with Liverpool third on £7m.

Champions Manchester United spent £4.46m, the seventh-highest amount.

Full Article >> BBC